"What we're talking about today is a young man who is no longer with us," Commonwealth Attorney Dan Boaz told a jury of nine men and five women Wednesday at the start of the murder trial of a Benton man in McCracken Circuit Court.

Jeffrey Conrad, 49, is accused of shooting Garlon Casey Cox, 31, in the head on June 8, 2015, at a storage facility in Reidland after he allegedly caught Cox and his friend, Brandon York, 36, stealing from his unit.

"On that day, there are certain things that we know beyond any doubt whatsoever happened," Boaz continued. "The one thing that we definitely know, that's uncontroverted by anybody, is that the defendant, Jeffrey Conrad, shot and killed Casey Cox."

According to the sheriff's department, Conrad arrived at AAA Mini-Storage on Eagles Nest Drive about 7 a.m. to find Cox and York closing his storage unit and getting into a red Ford Ranger pickup truck. Detectives said Conrad reported seeing items that belonged to him in the truck.

In an interview with a local TV station, Conrad said he drew his .45 caliber pistol and told Cox and York to stop. That's when York took off running, Conrad said, and Cox, who was seated in the truck's driver's seat, put the truck in gear and began to back up. Conrad said that's when he fired his gun, hitting Cox in the left temple.

After the shooting, Conrad reportedly told detectives he feared for his life. In a later interview, he stated he had fired to protect a female friend who was standing in the path of the truck.

In court Wednesday, Boaz told the jury he didn't buy Conrad's story. "The bottom line in this case is that when Casey Cox disobeyed the defendant's orders ... he shot him," Boaz said. "That's not in defense of himself, that's not in defense of another. That's because Casey Cox had the audacity to disobey an order given by a man with a gun who had it aimed at his head."

Taking his turn before the jury, Conrad's attorney Doug Moore described Cox and York as thieves who were high on drugs and had gone to the storage unit to steal things.

Moore said Conrad had gone to the storage unit that morning because he was in the process of moving and had a truckload of items he was putting into storage. When Conrad saw his belongings in the back of Cox's truck, Moore said, Conrad drew his weapon and a verbal altercation ensued, during which Conrad told Cox and York to stop.

"Cox put the truck in gear and started backwards towards (Conrad's friend)," Moore said. "Jeff took one last look at (his friend), noted that she hadn't moved, she was frozen. He was scared, and he made a split-second decision and fired his gun to get Cox to stop the truck."

"The government has charged Jeff with murder, and I don't believe that was a correct charge," Moore continued. "I don't believe he should be charged at all. This was a justified shooting and ... at the end of the case I'm going to ask you to agree with me and return a verdict of not guilty."

Following opening statements, several witnesses were called to testify, including York.

York was charged after Cox's death with third-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia, to which he pleaded guilty.

York testified that on the morning of the shooting, he and Cox had been hired to unload items into a storage unit when they encountered Conrad.

According to York, Conrad jumped out of his car, weapon drawn, stuck it in the passenger side window of Cox's truck and fired at Cox.

"He never made eye contact with me," York said of Conrad. "He never looked at me. He got out of (his) truck, gun in hand, and went directly to the passenger window of Casey's truck ... and he shot immediately."

York said he ran after he heard the gunshot, not knowing if Cox was alive or dead. He also testified that Cox's truck was not running at the time of the shooting.

During cross-examination, Moore asked how the truck crashed into nearby a storage unit after the shooting if it was turned off when Cox was shot. He noted that the sheriff's investigation indicated the truck's ignition switch was in the "on" position and the truck was in gear when officers arrived.

York stuck to his story, suggesting Conrad or Conrad's friend had moved the truck after Cox was shot.